Welcome to the Chocolate Lily Book Awards Program. This is our sixteenth year offering this literacy program to BC schools and families. We hope you enjoy this year’s list of nominated titles. Students from BC schools read the nominated titles and vote for their favourite book.

The B.C. Chocolate Lily Young Readers’ Choice Awards encourages grade school students to read some of the best fiction by British Columbia’s children’s authors and illustrators.

It all began with a desire to introduce B.C. children to the books created by authors and illustrators living in their own communities. Many wonderful books have been published by award winning children’s authors and illustrators who make B.C. their home.

“B.C. is a treasure trove of talent,” said Fitzhenry & Whiteside’s Children’s Publisher, Gail Winskill. The Chocolate Lily Book Awards celebrates this home grown talent.

Another equally important goal is literacy. Because reading and writing are intertwined, good readers are generally good writers. “Read, read, read!” Delta author, Gayle Friesen, suggested in her writing tip. Many B.C. authors give the same writing advice.

There are three categories:

Best Picture Book, as voted by students in kindergarten through grade 4

Best Chapter book/Early novel for Grades 2 through 4

Novels for Grades 4 – 7

Students may vote in either category as long as they have read the minimum number of books required. Many avid readers may wish to read all the nominated books and may read from all lists. The minimum for Picture books is to read or have read to you at least 5 books. The minimum for Chapter Book/Early novel and Novels is to have read 4 books.

Educational Kit

The registration fee is $20 which helps cover the cost of producing a kit that includes:

-password to the Registered Readers page which has Bios of the authors and illustrators

– voting information (available online)

The following will be sent to you by mail:

– colour poster of the nominated books (additional ones available for a fee)

– 5 bookmarks (additional ones available for a fee)

-Chocolate Lily Book Award Sticker -one for each category you participate in (additional ones available for a fee)

Voting

Voting forms are online. Votes must be postmarked or emailed by May 1th, 2018. Winners will be announced in June.

Award

The Chocolate Lily Awards will be presented in June 2018.

Confirmation of location and date will be announced at a later date.

Chocolate Lily Logo

The Chocolate Lily is a real indigenous flower that grows in woodland areas along the west coast of B.C. and nowhere else in Canada.

The Logo was designed by Vanessa Vaartnou. The logo colours were added by Graphic Arts Designer, William Glasgow.